Marineland 400B filter question

B

Bonne46

AC Members
May 20, 2009
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I bought a used 75g tank that came with 2 Marineland Emperor 400B filters. Now I am planing on using them on a different tank but it seems not be working right.

I filled the filter up with water, and plug it in and you here the motor going but it doesn't fill the filter up with water. When I have the plastic piece all the way up you can see were the impellor is water movement, and when I put it all the way down it drains it a little and then the tubes that hang behind the bio wheel you see kinda fill with water but you can tell it has alot of air in it.

Something wrong with them? I had the impellor out and whiped it off with a napkin, it wasn't dirty at all I just did just in case.
 
how long did you wait to see if it would get going on it's own? sometimes my filters can take a couple of minutes to get going.
 
Not to sure how long we waited, I know more then a minute atleast. What it looks like to me and my friend when is that the filter is just really moving the water around in the filter and not sucking it up from the tank. I put my hand by the intake and you feel some sucking but then it stops, then it sucks, then it stops. Then when you look inside the filter you just see that water just moving around, not filling, and not lowering.
 
You need to either clean out the filter and make sure the impeller is seated correctly compared to the other emperor (compare) take the motor off and make, no dirt carbon or sand stuck in there. If that doesn't work then swap out impellers with the other emperor to determine what part is giving you trouble. Conform the defective part by making sure both emperors work with good parts and then simple buy new new parts.
 
How do I take apart the motor? I can get the impeller out but how do I get everything else apart?
 
Bonne46 said:
How do I take apart the motor? I can get the impeller out but how do I get everything else apart?
Click to expand...

OK for you just clean out the motor hole and impeller, make sure its seated and if it still doesn't work swap impellers only. That should give you a clue what is wrong.

Incidentally most of those motors have a bayonet type screw and O-ring mount. usually you simply have to look at it , turn the motor to the correct position and then pull it out. I don't own one but if I took a look at it I could take it right off for a replacement if needed. But at worst all you need is a new motor shaft and impeller magnet..
 
How would I be able post a video? I cleaned everything out even swap impellers and it does the same exact thing, you hear it working, just does the same exact thing which is just move the water in the filter around but nothing else.
 
Bonne46 said:
How would I be able post a video? I cleaned everything out even swap impellers and it does the same exact thing, you hear it working, just does the same exact thing which is just move the water in the filter around but nothing else.
Click to expand...

What did you do to it just prior to its symptoms? And if nothing, was it dirty and due for a cleaning when this happened. If neither is the case you may have a rare case of motor polarity failure where the stator motor, the part that doesn't move needs replacement. Like I said from the outside underneath the little motor unscrews and pulls out. Here is the part list.
Wow! apparently marineland doesn't sell the motor item 6 as a part. Anyway item 6 is the motor housing and it looks like it snaps out rather then screw out. Take a look at the impeller shaft to see if its bent to one side , it should be in the middle, if bent bend back strait and try again.
http://www.marineland.com/sites/Marineland/products/productdiagram.aspx?cid=2062&id=2054&mid=3226

Wow! they don't sell the motor for my Penguin 350 either. AquaCler power filters are starting to look better now since they sell all the parts.
 
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Well when I bought the tank they gave me those 2 filters. I did nothing to them at first they were just sitting in my house for 2-3weeks. Then I came to the point that I needed them so I went out and bought new media and bio wheel. At frist I plugged it in without filling it. Then I realized that was a mistake and filled it. It did nothing so I took it off and opened it all up. I cleaned the impeller (wasn't dirty at all) and put it back it. Filled it, and had the plastic piece on the motor housing all the way up and plug it in. It made some loud noise and you just saw the water moving up and down thats it. It wasn't shooting out of the spray bar or anything. But when I switched impellers (had to clean the other) and did everything it worked for a little, but when I put the biowheel back on (forgot to put on) it stoped doing it and went back to the moving the water up in down in the filter but not shooting nothing out of the spray bars.
 
if it has the adjustable flow lever (older models have this new ones dont) make sure they lever is pulled UP all way, fill the filter with water plug it in a wait a few minutes sometimes they yake a few minutes to get going. the flow lever is on top of the impellor area and sticks up a little ways. and make sure your tank is not really low on water.
 
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